Spirited Away: The Wait [ORIGINAL]

A Visit to Little Friends

     After a simple lunch, Haku and Chihiro carried two large containers filled with oatmeal cookies in plastic bags to the hospital. Being the thrifty woman she was, Chihiro had insisted on walking there instead of taking a cab. “It’s only 20 minutes, and it’s good exercise,” she had shrugged. Haku, not seeing the point of arguing, followed along.

     “Do you think they’ll like the cookies?” Haku asked. It was his first time baking, and to have people he didn’t know critique his work was sort of unnerving. Even more so as children could be very frank and blunt with their opinions. Chihiro could see this from his uncertain look, and found it oddly cute of him.

     She nodded. “I made these cookies for them before, and they kept asking me for more, so I’m pretty sure they’ll like my cookies.” She paused, seeing relief flood his features. Then she slyly added, “But I wouldn’t be too sure about yours…”

     “How encouraging,” he replied dryly, “We made them together, anyway. If anything goes wrong, it would be your fault as well.”

     She giggled. “If all goes well, it’ll be my credit. If not, the fault lies with you.”

     Haku rolled his eyes. “I love how generous you can be sometimes, Chihiro.”

     “I know,” she replied cheekily, grinning from ear to ear. “Too bad it isn’t the case for me.”

     She snickered when he scowled, not too happy with her mean treatment. He deserved some payback after messing with her in the kitchen, anyway. He had it coming.

     Stealing a sideways glance at him, she found him still sulking away like the bad tempered child he was. Chihiro shook her head, grinning goofily. Her heart did a small flutter in her chest. It never failed to enthrall her how Haku could transform from his authoritative, charismatic dragon into a childish, playful brat like the one in front of her right now. Occasionally she would chide herself for thinking that he was cute. From experiences with her dad, men generally did not like to be thought of as ‘cute’.

     But Haku was masculine and cute all at once. Suddenly she wanted to hug him and squeeze him like he was her personal teddy bear.

     Teddy bear, huh, she mused. If only Haku was more furry and soft, he’d be the perfect personal teddy bear. If anything, he was a teddy bear made of steel. She recalled the times when she’d knocked into his rock solid chest. She had been worried for her nose, and had even contemplated going to the doctor for a checkup, just in case.

     Not that she was complaining, he was perfect the way he is.

     Just that him becoming softer wouldn’t do much harm.

     “What, does my face look funny?” Haku inquired suspiciously at her silly smile.

     She merely smirked evilly in response and replied, “Nope,” before walking faster so she was in front of him. Why, the nerve of that woman! Sometimes Haku really wondered what it was he saw in her that made him so tolerable towards her annoying antics like Shou. Maybe it was the way she smiled out of innocent, pure joy that in turn, made him happy as well. Or perhaps it was the way he felt comfortable around her, with no need to put up the “Master Haku” front that she had so dubbed.

     It irritated him sometimes when she teased him and called him Master Haku. Sure, she meant well, but he hadn’t liked showing her that side of him. Calling him that only reminded him of the times he had treated her badly in front of others, and not just in the bathhouse ten years ago.